Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- Edgar A(lbert),1881–1959, U.S. journalist and writer of verse, born in England.
noun
- a person who is entertained, taken out to eat, etc, and paid for by another
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- a person who receives hospitality at the home of anothera weekend guest
- (as modifier)the guest room
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- a person who receives the hospitality of a government, establishment, or organization
- (as modifier)a guest speaker
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- an actor, contestant, entertainer, etc, taking part as a visitor in a programme in which there are also regular participants
- (as modifier)a guest appearance
- a patron of a hotel, boarding house, restaurant, etc
- zoology a nontechnical name for inquiline
- be my guest informal do as you like
verb
- (intr) (in theatre and broadcasting) to be a guestto guest on a show
Old English gæst, giest (Anglian gest) “guest; enemy; stranger,” the common notion being “stranger,” from Proto-Germanic *gastiz (cf. Old Frisian jest, Dutch gast, German Gast, Gothic gasts “guest,” originally “stranger”), from PIE root *ghosti- “strange” (cf. Latin hostis “enemy,” hospes “host” — from *hosti-potis “host, guest,” originally “lord of strangers” — Greek xenos “guest, host, stranger;” Old Church Slavonic gosti “guest, friend,” gospodi “lord, master”).
Spelling evolution influenced by Old Norse cognate gestr (the usual sound changes from the Old English word would have yielded Modern English *yest). Phrase be my guest in the sense of “go right ahead” first recorded 1955.
see be my guest.